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Review: SugarMynt Dysfunctional Christmas Exhibition

Off to Hell We Go by Chris LoWail
Click to purchase “Off to Hell We Go” by Chris LoWail: $2,000.

Looking for some Halloween cheer for the holidays? Then check out the Dysfunctional Christmas exhibition at SugarMynt Gallery in South Pasadena. There is an amazing variety of art and collectibles on display, inspired by everything from Krampus to Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. The price range is wide enough to include everyone from serious collectors to casual fans. At the high end are a trio of original oil paintings by Chris LoWail that go for $1,500-2,000 each. Other items are available in prints that run $25-30.

As much as it is an art gallery, SugarMynt is, in a way, a small museum – very conducive to idle browsing. The Christmas trees and other displays inspired by The Nightmare Before Christmas are worth a visit all on their own. Even Halloween‘s Michael Myers gets into the act, lurking on the roof in a Santa cap.

Click to purchase “Emily’s Funeral” by Giacomo Ghiazza. $25 (signed and unframed).

There is also an ample amount of non-Christmas-themed macabre art on display. For those who missed the Welcome to Haddonfield II exhibition last Halloween, the good news is many of the paintings and photographs are still available, though not so prominently displayed. I finally purchased a print of “Emily’s Funeral” (pre-production artwork by Giacomo Ghiazza from the film Hocus Pocus) because it had haunted me since seeing it in September, and it was going to go on haunting me until I picked up a copy.

Dysfunction Christmas continues through the first weeks in January, during regular business hours. There is also a series of December Movie Nights on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm. In the spirit of the festive season, SugarMynt’s usual $5 entry fee has been waived, but there is still a very reasonable $5-charge for taking photos.

SugarMynt Gallery is open 12-5pm Tuesday & Wednesday; 12-7pm Thursday-Saturday; 11am-4pm Sunday. Closed Mondays. The address is 810 Meridian Avenue, South Pasadena, 91030. Call (626) 222-7257 for more information of visit their website: sugarmynt.com.

Photo Gallery by Yuki Tanaka

Dysfunctional Christmas
4

Bottom Line

Great fun even if you are not an art collector.

Steve Biodrowski, Administrator

A graduate of USC film school, Steve Biodrowski has worked as a film critic, journalist, and editor at Movieline, Premiere, Le Cinephage, The Dark Side., Cinefantastique magazine, Fandom.com, and Cinescape Online. He is currently Managing Editor of Cinefantastique Online and owner-operator of Hollywood Gothique.